revive
by lusterrdust
Summary: It's been two years since Rose Evans left New York city. She's made a name for herself as Shadow and is living with her abilities with a newfound pride. Now she's about to head back home, but is New York ready for the her return? Is Spider-Man? [peter parker/oc, sequel to unexpected encounters, discontinued]
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own any Marvel characters, plots or content. Merely a fan inspired by brilliant characters and amazing comics/movies._

 _intro_

"'Scuse me, coming through!"

" _Ooph_!" I was walking to my room when I suddenly found myself on my ass with a thirteen year old kid sprawled on top of me. "What the hell are you doing, Andrew?" I asked, rubbing my head where it had collided with the floor. Andrew was a blonde haired kid with ADHD who had the fitting ability to move fast. _Very fast_.

A sheepish look came over his features and he rushed to scramble off of me. "Heh, sorry about that, Rose." He laughed nervously as he rubbed his neck. "I -I gotta go! Gonna be late!"

I grunted as I got up and shook my head, smiling. The boy's power suited his personality frighteningly well, I thought as he continued his run down the hallway. As I continued to my room, I greeted a few more students in the hall with small smiles. Some looked at me sadly, knowing that this was my last day here in the Professor's manor, while others remained indifferent.

I had been here _two years_.

The Professor had been patient, kind and understanding during the first few months of my arrival, of which I had been a complete wreck.

My heart twinged as I thought back to _why_.

 _Peter._

I hadn't spoken to him in a little over a year and admittedly the first couple months were extremely hard. We tried to see each other as often as possible, but that became strained what with my training, his job and the amount of time he put into being Spider-Man. After that, it was phone calls. They started out as long talks every night. Then, it became every _other_ night, and soon it was like the calls stopped altogether. I'm not sure how it happened or even _when_ , but it did. We would still text, but I don't think I need to repeat the pattern here on how that turned out.

Needless to say, it was the first time I had ever truly felt such heartbreak. Fortunately for me, during the brief time I'd been here, there were a couple friends I had made who offered their support. They didn't know who I was dating; I never told anyone for fear it might risk his identity. Unlikely, I know, but still-.

As for May, we still remained in contact with each other. Every month with her taking a drive up here to get a coffee with me, and us catching up on each other's lives. _(Mine a bit more closed off, for apparent reasons)._ And even though May knew about me and Peter, and had at first tried to make things better between us, she finally accepted my insistence to accept the fact that he and I couldn't be together. She didn't know about Peter's other life, so there was no way for her to understand why things turned out the way they did, but after a while she stopped pressing the issue and our discussions never went there again.

I opened my room's door, lost in thought over the fact that tonight would be my _last_ night here. It was bizarre to say the least.

I remembered feeling the dread at moving here and now I couldn't imagine what it would be like not to see my friends and Professor's everyday.

" **SURPRISE**!"

Startled out of any train of thought I previously had, I jumped back and raised a hand to my chest, letting out a scream. The sight of two laughing faces greeted me when I turned the light on and I closed my eyes, feeling my heart hammer in my chest before the silliness of the situation formed a giggle in the back of my throat. "You two realize you're not supposed to jump out until the light is _ON_ , right?"

I laughed at my two good friends, one of which shared the room with me. Amber, my roommate was a short and petite firecracker. She had killer green eyes, a flat nose, and an almost permanent pout on her face. Carlos was our other friend. He had helped me tremendously when I first moved into the mansion, training with me and offering a shoulder to cry on. He was tall, awkward looking and was never seen without his signature red, worn out beanie on his head.

"Yeah, we _could_ have done that, but you wouldn't have been scared as bad." Amber said, grinning at me and patting my head. The pressure of her hand caused me to wince at the tender spot from earlier where it banged against the floor. "You okay?" She asked, putting her hand at her side and tilting her head at my reaction.

I grimaced and gently poked the area. "Eh, yeah, Andrew- you know that hyper kid? He was running down the hall and knocked me flat on my ass."

"Ugh, they seriously need to give that guy some Ritalin." Amber deadpanned, shaking her head.

"Amber!" Carlos scolded, looking affronted.

"What!?" She defended, raising her arms. "It's not my fault he's off the wall." She turned toward me and reached her hand out. "Want me to heal it?"

"No, I'm okay, thanks." I told her as I walked toward my bed and sat down. "So, what was up with the surprise greeting? Special Holiday?"

Carlos jumped next to me and exuberantly waved his arms out. "Uh, you're leaving us tomorrow. Probably for _forever_!"

I rolled my eyes and laughed lightly at his dramatic demeanor. "And this calls for celebration?"

Amber leaned down and pulled something from under her bed. When fully revealed, I raised my brow at her as a bottle of vodka lay gripped in her small palms. With a laugh she shook it and then held it up in front of her. "No, more like a goodbye party."

I looked at Carlos and her sternly. "You guys aren't even twenty-one yet, how did you get that?"

Amber dropped her chin and stared at me with a raised eyebrow. "Seriously? You and I both know how _persuasive_ our little Carlitos is. And besides _you're_ twenty-two. What's the big deal?"

I wanted to be mad at them for using their powers to manipulate somebody for their personal gain, but the whole thing was just too amusing. I cracked a grin and sat cross-legged on the floor, silently agreeing to be apart of their mad plan. Amber let out a whoop of excitement and opened the bottle, lifting it up like she was going to make a speech. "To Rose!" She exclaimed, wiping a fake tear from her eye. "May she never have to attend one of Ms. Munroe's lectures- _nay_ , snoozefests- ever again!"

I laughed and took a swig as the two cheered me on. After a few minutes my cheeks started to feel hot. That night was one I would always appreciate. Even if I didn't end up remembering most of it.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning I woke up with the _worst_ hangover.

 _"Ms. Evans before you leave today, please come to my office. I'd like to have a word with you."_

The Professor's voice reverberated throughout my head, and I wondered if he made himself sound a lot louder intentionally. With a miserable moan, I turned over and pressed my face into my pillow.

"Stop groaning, you sound like a hungry lion." Amber whined from my far right. Carlos threw a pillow over her head and shushed her.

"Both of you sound like you're trying to kill me." He whispered from my feet where his head lay. Amber smacked his ankle.

"Shut _up_!"

I groaned louder, feeling my head pound. "Amber, can't you fix it?"

"Huh?" Her head poked from behind the pillow. "Oh, yeah!" She closed her eyes and smiled in relief. Reaching over, she pressed her hand to my head and I immediately felt a tingle rush down from my crown to the bottom of my toes. Suddenly the nausea and the pounding stopped and I threw my head back in relief.

Amber reached herself over the bed and touched Carlos' forehead, healing his hangover.

Lethargically, I pulled myself out of bed and grabbed my outfit off the floor and changed into a different pair of clothes, not bothered by privacy. I'd had a lack of _that_ since I left my apartment two years ago. "Okay, I have to visit Professor X before I go but I will come back and say goodbye. As for my sister, she'll be here in..." My heart nearly jolted out of my chest when I saw the numbers on the clock and realized I had overslept. " _Crap_! Fifteen minutes ago!"

Not wanting to waste any more time, I quickly began to gather my loose belongings and threw them into my duffel bag, not giving the slightest thought to organization. I ran a hand through my tangled hair and mentally crossed off all the things I needed. When I was sure I had everything I needed, I turned to toward the amused faces of my friends hogging my bed. "I'll be back."

I jogged out of the room and ran down the hallway toward Professor Xavier's office. Once I made it to the door I hastily straightened my hair and shirt before knocking.

 _"Come in."_

Poking my head through first before fully entering, I smiled guiltily at the Professor's knowing gaze. "Hi, Professor. Sorry I got held up."

"That's quite all right." He smiled, before gesturing me to come closer. "You must have had a long night."

My cheeks began to burn because o _f course_ he would know. Wringing my hands together, I gave a nervous laugh before a familiar voice cut through.

"What happened last night?"

My head whipped to where Pepper was sitting in the far seat to my left. Her perfectly sculpted eyebrow was raised at me.

"Pepper!" I exclaimed, feeling the heat creep up to my ears. "What are you doing here?"

"Your sister and I were discussing how brilliantly you've come along here, Rose." Professor answered for her as his words caused me to smile in pride. "It's truly been a pleasure to have you at our school. And I do hope you'll stay in touch."

"Mr. Xavier says you practically have full reign on your power." Pepper stated, sitting as prim and proper as ever with not even a hair out of place.

"Well, I wouldn't say full reign," I dismissed, waving my hand. I was still learning, but the fact that the Professor seemed to think I was improving was enough to boost my confidence on the matter. "But definitely manageable." I added with a grateful look to Professor X.

"I'll let you say your goodbyes." Pepper said as she stood up and straightened her pencil skirt. She walked over to the Professor and shook his hand, thanking him before walking over to me and putting a hand on my shoulder. "I'll be in the car outside."

When she left the office, I turned to the Professor and despite my anxiousness to return to New York, I was sad that I probably wouldn't see him again. Words wouldn't do justice to the amount of gratitude I had for the man in front of me, but I still felt like they needed to be voice. "Professor, I really want to say thank you." I told him sincerely. It was frightening to know what would have happened to me if I had not made that hard decision to leave the city and get the help I needed. "For not giving up on me... and just -well, for everything, really."

Professor Xavier folded his arms on his desk. His eyes were always filled with a wisdom I'd come to admire, and his smile was always genuine and fond. "Ms. Evans," He began, "You were but a small child when I first met you. Your father was very proud of you. Proud that you had been gifted with something great. And he knew you were going to do great things. Just as I knew then, and still believe now."

I sat down on the chair and stared intently at him while the words he spoke reverberated into my mind. The Professor and I had had many conversations in the two years I had been here, and I treasured each one, feeling privileged to know such a man. To know that he was devoted to help me get on the right path, like every student here, made me feel so incredibly great.

"Your father was drawn to you." He continued, tilting his head to gauge my reaction. "Said that you were the bright light in his world."

I sat there, looking at the Professor with a dubious expression. "...Professor, are you sure you mean _my_ father? I mean, the man's not exactly one for poetic sayings."

"I'm quite certain that's what he said." The Professor chuckled, seemingly amused. "Unless, of course, I'm going senile."

His joke made me grin and I shook my head in embarrassment. "No, you're far too young, Professor."

"Your sister seems to be getting anxious." He chuckled before sticking his hand out to me. "It's been a pleasure, Rose."

His look was meaningful and I knew this would not be the last time we saw each other. I reached forward and shook his hand, "Thank you, Professor."

He smiled at me, a glint in his eye before he looked to the door. "Mr. Jimenez, Ms. Zui, you may come in now."

I turned in surprised to see the two of my friends come in with guilty looks on their faces, having obviously been eavesdropping. Carlos threw an arm around me and ruffled my already disheveled hair. "We didn't want to miss you before you left."

I hugged them enthusiastically, feeling my heart clench. _Goodbyes sucked_. "As much as it kills me to say goodbye, I actually _really_ have to say goodbye before my sister comes in here to drag me out herself."

II

I leaned my head against the car seat and pouted at Pepper as the scenery whipped by us through the window. "You see," I whined, "This is why it's so much easier to not make friends. Because then people have to grow and change and it sucks knowing you can't see them every day anymore."

I noticed Happy give me a sympathetic glance from the rear view mirror and Pepper patted my knee. "It's going to be okay."

"I know, I know." I covered my face and sighed deeply. Change was never fun, but the prospect of being back home was both exciting and frightening at the same time. At least I would have Pepper nearby. But unfortunately, that meant her significant half would no doubt be there as well.. "So, tell me Tony won't be there when we arrive."

My complaining earned a dry look from Pepper. "Unfortunately for you Tony will be there, you know... in _his_ building."

"He's not going to bring up that incident from my birthday again, is he?" I asked, feeling the anxiety and embarrassment creep up on me. Tony was _always_ trying to embarrass me. And most especially in front of Steve and Bruce.. or really _anyone_ in the building who seemed to walk by when he felt in the mood. "Because if he shows that picture of me one more time-"

"Rose, relax!" Pepper snorted in an unladylike fashion, "You _know_ he's going to bring it up. You drank a copious amount of absinthe and _stole_ a six puppies from the SPCA."

Indignant, I sputtered and threw my hands up. "Okay, first off Tony told me it was vodka-"

"It was _green_."

"- _Second_! I was... at a very hard place in my life at that time. You know that, Pep." I looked at her pointedly as my mind drifting back to _him_.

 _Peter_.

Pepper gave me a sympathetic look. "I'll talk to Tony... But I do have to tell you one... minor detail."

I looked at her strangely, "What is it, Pepper?"

She and Happy shared a look that made me highly suspicious and I turned my body toward her. "Pepper, _what_?"

She sighed and sat up straighter. "Tony added a new section to the tower. One that you know accommodates Bruce."

"Okay," I nodded, "I know all of this. What is it you're not telling me?"

"Rose, Tony hired someone to work with Bruce twice a week." She continued with a blank stare as I nodded, not knowing what she was getting at. She rolled her eyes at my expression. "Rose, Tony hired _Peter_."

My heart stopped and I looked back and forth between her and Happy accusingly. "How long has he been working there?"

"A week." Pepper replied before closing her eyes and guiltily adding, "Okay, that's a lie. It's been two months."

My mouth dropped and I scoffed stupefied, "Two months!? _Two months_!? It didn't cross your mind to tell me... oh, I don't know _two months ago!_?"

Pepper looked unperturbed by my outburst and she simply folded her hands over her lap. "I realize you're upset, but he's five floors below your apartment. There's _six_ different ways to leave the building, and you wouldn't even have to see him."

I clenched my eyes shut and shook my head as a million different emotions ran through me. "Not the point, Pep."

"Are you scared because you were hoping you wouldn't see him, or are you scared because you were hoping you would?" She asked with a straight forward tone.

 _Of course_ she would know. Pepper had somehow made up for all those lost years in lack of sister bonding, with the two of us becoming incredibly close in a freakishly short amount of time once I got over my sulking. Much to my delight, we had developed a strong connection with one another, even to the point like now where it was almost to a fault. "I don't know," I answered pathetically, throwing my hands up in frustration. "I just... why did Tony insist I move into the tower again?"

"Because you had no apartment to return to and you're broke." She deadpanned.

I pursed my lips and gave her a look for her blunt reality check. "You're supposed to _indulge_ my melodramas, Pepper. Not pull me back into reality."

Pepper wrapped her arm around me, instantly comforting the mixture of emotions that I was still feeling. "I do it because I care."

I leaned my head against her shoulder, and took in the vision of the city as it came into sight. "Why are you always right?"

"It's my job to be right." She answered as her lips cracked into a small smile. Her hand came up and patted my cheek when I sighed deeply and she spoke quietly, "We're almost there. Get some rest. We'll talk more when we arrive."

 _tbc_


	3. Chapter 3

Pepper and I entered their home, which was second to the top floor of Stark Tower, and we were immediately greeted by Jarvis. _"Good evening, Miss Potts, Miss Evans."_

"Hey, Jarvis." I greeted, walking into the home I had familiarized myself with on multiple occasions.

"Jarvis, where's Tony?" Pepper asked as she placed her purse on the table.

An arrogant voice interrupted the conversation and diverted our attention to Tony walking into the room. "Pepper! Light of my life, lover of my soul-"

"Tony, why are you covered in soot?" Pepper interrupted, unamused. Tony was completely covered head to toe in black ash. He shrugged nonchalantly and threw his arms up at me. "Red! Good to have you back. How's the stopping time thing working out? Still good?"

I crossed my arms in amusement as Pepper rolled her eyes, seemingly to avoid a headache. "Oh, Tony. How I longed for this day to come, where I would be living under your roof- _roofs_."

He grinned at me and threw an arm around my shoulder, causing me to shriek and push him off. I started to wipe the soot off my shirt and huffed. "How Pepper manages to live with you, I'll never know."

Tony looked up in mock thought and tapped his chin. "Hm, my charm? My wit? My ability to make every thing I touch turn to gold, maybe."

I snorted in good humor and shook my head.

"But enough about me. _Well_ , we'll get back to me in a minute, first I want to show you where you'll be staying. I wanted to keep it airy, keep it cool. You know," He said gesturing his hands as he spoke. "..simple."

I followed him out of the home and walked to the elevator down the hall with Pepper in tow. He looked at me over the rims of his glasses. "Don't worry, there's no cameras and no JARVIS. Just your own thoughts to keep you company."

I nodded at him appreciatively. "Thank you, Tony."

"Don't mention it, Red. I'm not judging." He said pressing the floor button two below theirs. "I mean, I _am_ , but I'll refrain from judging too harshly. You're dull."

"I'm going to _not_ hurt you since you are letting me stay here." I told him irritably as the doors dinged open and he led us down an empty corridor.

"Uh, you can thank Pepper for that," He said, holding his pointer finger up. "I voted that you move in with Rogers. You know, maybe get the two of you to release some well needed sexual frustrations with each other."

" _Tony_!" Pepper scolded as I glared at him. God, he just loved to push my buttons.

"What!" He exclaimed, feigning shock. "It'd benefit both of them!"

"Will you just shut up and open the door?" I demanded, feeling my cheeks heat up. Steve was a friend, but there was truth in Tony's words about... frustrations.

"Temper, temper." He tsked before opening the door to my new place. I gasped in awe as I observed my surroundings. The place was absolutely _insane_! Very Tony-like, I thought.

He smiled proudly at himself. "Well? What do you think?"

I let out an incredulous breath and ran my hand over the granite counter top directly in front of me. To my left was a tall glass window, with the perfect view of the city. The place was incredibly chic and looked so out of my price range that I could only sputter out one sentence. "How am I going to pay you back? This is too much..."

Tony folded his arms and pointed at me. "Glad you asked, Red. You need money and I need an assistant."

I snapped my head to him and raised an eyebrow. "Tony, I cannot be your assistant. You could not pay me a trillion _gazillion_ dollars to be your personal assistant."

Pepper bit her lip to keep from smiling and Tony placed his hand over his heart. "I'm wounded, truly. But lucky for you, it's not for me... per say. It's for Bruce."

I clenched my teeth and glared at him. "Does this have anything to do with the person working in the same lab as him?" My tone was sharp and I could tell Pepper was uncomfortable.

Tony's mouth parted slightly and looked back from me to Pepper, and then back to me again. "Oh, what? _Web boy_? Your days off will be his work days, and besides I thought you two broke up months ago?"

A enraged squeak came from my mouth and I turned to Pepper with wide eyes, urging her to do something. "Pepper!"

"Tony! Show some sensitivity!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think she'd be so upset-"

"Of course she'd be upset! She was in love with the boy!"

"I've had many love affairs myself-"

"You _cannot_ seriously be comparing her relationship with your sexual conquests."

"Oooh, feisty, Pep. I like it."

Their voices overlapped one another's and I growled in annoyance. After letting them go at it for a few more seconds, I stepped between the two and raised my hands up. "Okay! REGROUP! We are _way_ off track. Fine, Tony I will work for Bruce if you two just stop."

"Great!" Tony exclaimed clapping his hands together, as if I had had a choice the whole time. I ran a hand through my hair and stared at Pepper hoping she'd get my _'I'm so going to complain about this later so be prepared'_ look. "Right, well enjoy your place. Be at Banner's office on Monday at nine."

"Wait! Tony! What am I going to be doing? The man's a _nuclear physicist_ and I'm a painter, not exactly the brainy type here." I exclaimed, blocking his path as he made his way to leave.

"Oh, you'll be fine, he just needs an assistant to keep his things organized, answer calls, make appointments. The whole shebang." Tony answered clapping his hands before tapping my head. "It'll come easy. Aaand if you run into a problem, just take some.. _time off_ to collect your thoughts."

I rolled my eyes at his joke and accepted Pepper's kiss on my cheek with a sour face. As I locked the door, I looked at my place again and couldn't stay mad. I was incredibly lucky and I should have been kissing the floor Tony walked on for his - _well, Pepper's_ \- generosity. The thought almost caused me to gag.

I walked around to explore and found myself loving it more and more with each step. The entire bottom floor was beautiful and the loft area had a large bed, filled with decorative pillows and a fuzzy throw. I gasped out loud when I entered the master bath and saw the most beautiful deep jet tub, with a rainfall shower. "Oh, Tony I could just _kiss_ you."


	4. Chapter 4

For the next three weeks, I had managed to avoid Peter, but on an unsuspecting Thursday my good luck had ended.

The day had went along uneventful as ever and I was winding down, ready for the clock to hit six so I could leave. I walked over to where Bruce was sitting, looking absorbed in his work.

"You shouldn't sit so close to the computer screen. You're going to ruin your vision." I smiled, setting a cup of coffee and a muffin from earlier this morning in front of him.

Bruce looked up at me and smiled in thanks before removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes in exhaustion. "Thanks for the tip."

I hopped on the desk to sit ignoring his disapproving stare, and continue, "Seriously, though Bruce. You need to rest. Go take a day off! You're in here everyday for twelve or more hours! That's not healthy! The world will survive without your genius brain for a day."

Bruce cracked an amused grin at me and continued his work, shooing me away. "I'll about it. Now go home before I make you read my article on Nucleosynthesis to Bear."

I looked behind me toward Bruce's mastiff, laying near my desk. I chuckled and lifted my hands in mock surrender. "Okay, don't make me torture the poor dog. I surrender... For now, anyway."

" _Goodnight_ , Rose."

I grabbed my purse off my desk, rubbed Bear's head and waved goodbye hurriedly making my way to the elevator. I was supposed to be meeting Amber later that evening and I was running behind schedule. When I got to the elevator I waited patiently until finally the doors dinged open.

My heart stopped beating and I felt my eyes bulge.

There was Peter. _With another woman. Peter, with a woman._

My mouth dropped and I went rigid when Peter turned to look at me. His smile dropped and he looked extremely shocked. "Rose?"

I snapped out of whatever spell I was under and immediately ran.

" _Rose_! Wait!" The doors must've closed on him last second as I didn't hear anyone behind me. I sprinted up the stairs, hoping to _God_ that Bruce or Tony hadn't told him I lived in the building, and choked on the lump in my throat.

The vision of him and the other woman was burned in my retinas. They weren't doing anything but she had been playing with the collar of his jacket and they had looked so... so _happy_.

I fumbled with my keys as I tried to open my door.

When I made it inside I turned the lights on and leaned against the front door, clenching my eyes shut. _I'm over him, I'm over him, I'm over him._

No, you're not.

II

"I'm over him."

I looked at my now empty plate and poked at the remainder of the food, absently using the fork to poke and mush.

"If you were over him, this wouldn't be the _eleventh_ time you've told me in the past hour."

I looked up toward Amber as she gave me a raised eyebrow and took a sip from her soda. "You obviously need to talk to him and sort whatever it is between you two out."

I was about to reply when I heard a scream from a distance. Most people had turned toward the sound, but like regular bystanders returned to their meal and continued their conversations. I didn't however, and I tried to listen for anything else. My muscles were tight with preparation to attack.

I made eye contact with Amber and she waved her hand dramatically. " _Go_. I'll drop your purse off to Pepper."

I thanked her, and ran out of my seat, glad we had chosen to dine outside and headed toward the sound's area, before hearing Amber call out, "You owe me one!"

With the flick of my wrist, I exhaled as the world around me stopped. I didn't have my suit on, but I had my mask which I always carried and quickly put it on before running toward where I had heard the scream. I flicked my wrist again and the world resumed. I heard muffled crying and frantically tried to locate where it was coming from.

Then I saw it; a pair of legs were sticking out from behind a dumpster and the angry murmurs of a man greeted my ears. I flicked my wrist again and walked up to the scene. A man had a woman pinned down and was choking her. I knelt down and pried his fingers off her throat and tied his hands together with his tie. I grabbed him by his collar and yanked him off her before placing my heel on his throat. I flicked my wrist and enjoyed the way his look of rage turned to pure confusion and fear. The woman cried out and I looked over at her. "Get out of here now."

She scrambled up and took off running and I focused my full attention on the man who was now under my bright red, four inch pumps. "Now, that isn't any way to treat a lady, is it?"

The man wriggled like a worm, testing the bonds on his wrists and I dug my heel in deeper causing him to look at me in fear. "What the hell are you?" He choked out.

"Someone you don't want to piss off." I answered, reaching down and pulling him up before slamming him against the wall. He was breathing heavily and I figured he was one of those men who treated women like punching bags because he wanted to feel tough. "Now, if I ever catch you trying to assault a woman again, I won't be as nice. Understand?"

He looked at me angrily and tried to struggle against my strength. With a grunt, he gave a curt nod and I smiled brightly. "Good to hear." I released a hand, flicked my wrist and left the area. A little spook wouldn't kill him.

I scaled the wall, and heaved myself over the roof before flicking my wrist again making the city come alive once more. I breathed in deeply before grinning madly. It had been _too_ long. My adrenaline was pumping and I let out a giggle of excitement, forgetting about the incident earlier that day. Hearing the sounds of the city I quickly tied my hair up and cracked my knuckles. "Okay, New York. What have you got for me tonight?"


	5. Chapter 5

"What the hell is this?"

I looked up from my cereal as Pepper burst through my front door, with a newspaper in her hand. I chewed slowly and raised an eyebrow at her reddened cheeks and narrowed eyes. "I'm going to go ahead and assume you have a key to the place?"

"Of course I do, I have a key to every area in this building." She said dismissively. She threw the paper on the table and crossed her arms, seemingly upset with me.

"SHADOW BACK IN NEW YORK: FOR BETTER OR WORSE?" written by Betty Brant

I skimmed the article and read absolute nonsense and speculation. "Seriously, this Brant woman is just pulling hot air out of her ass. More than half of this is garbage, Pepper."

"I know that!" She snapped, sitting down and taking a drink of my coffee. "It's bad enough that Tony goes out and puts himself into danger, but now I have to worry about you, too?"

I pursed my lips and cocked my head. "Pepper. I love you and I'm incredibly grateful to you and Tony, but I've been doing this before we met. My powers are under control now, which means I can go out and help these people again."

Pepper looked down and ran her finger along the rim of the cup. "I just thought after you came back you would have put this all behind you. You know, continued your painting, go to college. I don't know, be a _normal_ twenty two year old."

"You of all people should know how stubborn I can be, considering you're the same way." I retorted, finishing my food. I didn't know Pepper would react this way, but I wasn't going to be swayed.

"You know how hard I try to keep my composure. I have a million things to do and a million more things that I _think_ that I need to do. Right now, you and Tony are my priority. I plan to make sure you guys don't get in over your heads. Like interferring with the Juliano's family, for instance." She enunciated her last sentence, while pointing at the part of the article where it explained my break in to the family's underground illegal gambling house, which ended up resulting in three arrests.

I bit my lip at her hard stare. "They're behind bars now."

"And who exactly do you think the rest of them will be after now?" She exclaimed heatedly. "You don't mess with gangs like this and expect to come out unscathed. They're going to be all over Shadow now!"

"Pepper will you just _relax_! I'm sorry, okay? I'll try to be more careful." I said as I grabbed my cardigan off the barstool. I grabbed my purse and Pepper got up behind me, following me out the door.

"Don't you have a gala to plan for the company's investors?" I asked, diverting the subject as we both walked into the elevator.

Pepper's eyes widened and she pulled out her cell phone before walking out as the doors opened to her work floor. "Oh that reminds me I need to make a call. We are not finished with this talk."

I waved goodbye and leaned against the mirrored wall, watching as the buttons lit up to each floor I descended. When I got to my floor I almost made it out until a woman-

Oh, shit. _The_ woman! The woman from the other day was right in front of me.

She lifted her hand and pointed at me with a curious look. "Hey, you're that girl Peter and I saw the other day... Rose, if I remember?"

...Somebody shoot me.

I snapped back to reality and nodded, putting my hand out to keep the doors from shutting. "Uh, yeah. I actually have to-"

"Betty Brant." She interjected, reaching her hand out. "Of the Daily Bugle." _This_ was the woman who wrote the article about me?

My eyes followed the action and moved back up to her face. She was a bit taller than me, with short brown hair, and dark brown eyes. I shook her hand reluctantly, not wanting to appear rude. "Rose. Uh, of the Stark Industries, or Dr. Banner's office... I guess."

She looked me up and down, causing me to cross my arms in impatience. However, she was obviously done not talking. "So you and Peter work together. It's funny, he's never mentioned you."

I bit my cheek to refrain from saying anything rude and moved around her, exiting the elevator. "Well, we have a complicated history. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to be late."

I rushed to Bruce's office, trying to calm my irritation. When I scanned in, I was greeted by Bear and a smiling Bruce holding a croissant at me. I smiled suspiciously. "Okay, what's with the personal greeting. You're usually neck deep in some weird science-y thing and don't even notice I'm here until the day's almost over."

Bruce rubbed the back of his head and glanced to his left before I heard my name being called from the far right. I turned and to my unfortunate surprise there Peter stood looking hesitant to say something.

I pursed my lips and looked at an awkward Bruce. "I'm sorry, Doc but I'm going to have to take today off."

I turned to leave but Peter was suddenly near me and grabbed my arm, halting me where I stood. "Rose, please. It doesn't need to be this way."

I tried to control my breathing, but my mind was taking me back to our last conversations. Our arguments over who didn't make time for who and who was sacrificing more. It was giving me a headache. "Peter, let go of me, please."

"Not until we sort this out." He said pleadingly. "I- I didn't know you were back in town."

I looked up at him and felt my stomach flip flop as his eyes connected with mine. He had changed a little in the last year and a half since I had seen him. He was more sculpted, his facial features more defined. Still as _adorkably_ handsome as ever. However, he had bags under his eyes that led me to believe he was having trouble sleeping. "Well, you would have found out soon enough. Your friend wrote a nice article on Shadow. Fresh off the press this morning."

Peter had the sense to look abashed as he scratched the back of his ear nervously. "She's just a co-worker. And I'm sorry, those things she said-"

"Were _untrue_!" I exclaimed, before remembering some of it was true. "Well, most of it."

"I know! I know, don't take it personal, she's just not a fan of any superhero around here." He commented, hoping that would excuse it.

I crossed my arms and glared at him. "So I'm guessing she doesn't know your little bug problem?"

Peter grimaced at me. I was striking a nerve and I didn't know whether to be pleased or intimidated. "Rose, can we act like adults for a minute?"

"Newsflash Peter, I've been acting like an adult my whole life, so forgive me if I didn't have someone give me a guideline on 'how not to talk with your first love', okay?" I snapped, not appreciating his jab. Okay, yeah I was being petulant but I had every right to feel what I did. In all honesty, I thought I was handling it better than how I played it out in my head.

I began to feel uneasy as Peter stared at me in wonder. I suddenly became self conscious as he remained silent and Bruce excused himself. "What?" I snapped, bringing my hand up to my hair out of nervous habit.

"I was your first love?" He asked quietly, astounded. "You were in love with me?"

My face heated and I only then recognized my slip. Sure, it wouldn't have been such a big deal but Peter and I had never once in the time we had been together said 'I love you'. And that's a big deal. I gaped, probably resembling a fish before I did what I found myself constantly doing lately.

I ran.


	6. Chapter 6

My dramatic exit didn't last very long before Peter caught me by the arm and pulled me toward him. I _could_ have used my power... I _should_ have, but deep down I wondered if a small part wanted him to catch me. A very small part. "Let go, Peter."

"I just want to talk, Rose." Peter pleaded, trying to make eye contact. Unsure of how easily I could be influenced by his eyes, the color as rich as a damp soil after a rainfall, I kept mine downcast. "This is difficult for me, too."

Swallowing the lump in my throat, my eyes followed the movement of his hand as it trailed down my arm to my wrist, leaving a ticklish sensation. My lips were dry and chapped as my tongue darted over them. Looking up, I noticed Peter had his gaze focused on the action, before he flickered those brown hues back to mine. "Okay, we can talk." I told him, relenting like I had presumed I would. A few people gave us stares as they passed us in the hallway and I quickly cleared my throat. "Not here, though. Tonight."

Peter smiled at me with relief on his face. Resuming my gaze back to the peep toe wedges I had on, I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach at his expression. "I'll pick you up, then?" His voice spoke hopefully.

"No." I shook my head. "Meet me at the taco truck on 37th."

Peter gave me a soft smile and stared at me with longing. "It really is good to see you, Rose."

I tucked a red lock of hair behind my ear and fought a blush at the sincerity in his words. "Meet me at seven."

Peter nodded before the elevator doors shut and I let out a frustrated groan. After a moment's hesitation I directed the elevator to bring me to Tony and Pepper's floor.

After a few minutes of waiting for someone to answer the front door, I fidgeted nervously before huffing in impatience and pulled two bobby pins from my hair. Kneeling down, I began to pick the lock, moving my hands carefully. "It's all about the tumblers." I muttered, grinning in satisfaction as a successful click met my ears.

All was quiet when I walked in, but after a few steps into the home I heard the distinct sound of Metallica from downstairs. Throwing my purse to the nearest chair, I called out to Tony with no response.

I walked to the stair case that led to Tony's workstation and jogged down, two steps at a time. "Tony!" I called again, knocking on the glass door. He popped out from behind a machine and gave me a once over before telling Jarvis to let me in.

"I distinctly remember Pepper locking the doors this morning before she went to chew your ass out." Tony greeted, waving a wrench at me while still continuing his work on the screen in front of him. "This is breaking and entering."

"You planned this didn't you?" I asked, marching up to him. "Who was behind it? Pepper?"

"What are you ranting off about now?" Tony asked, sounding disinterested without sparing a glance at my direction.

I pursed my lips. "I'm talking about Peter. How after a certain amount of time in that office it would have been inevitable that we face each other. And _now_ , I have to get tacos with him tonight, _probably_ have to talk about the new woman he's with- who, _by the way_ wrote a bullshit article about me. We're probably going to talk about feelings that I spent the last year trying to forget. Give me a couple goons to whoop ass, and I'm on it, but this? I cannot handle this, Tony! I can't!" My breaths were ragged and I felt the reminders of Professor Xavier's teachings emerge from the back of my mind. _Do not allow your emotions to take control of your actions._ I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes and exhaled loudly, successfully quenching the panic that threatened to be unleashed. When my eyes reopened, I saw Tony staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You're telling me Webster's dating that woman who wrote about you in the paper this morning?" He asked, looking thoughtful before shrugging. "Drama queens must be his type."

I growled at him. "You're so insensitive!"

"No, I'm realistic." He retorted, "If you didn't want to see Parker again you and I both know you would have fought tooth and nail against working in the same office as him. You _want_ to see him, you want to talk to him. So quit lying to yourself and try and figure out what it is you want." He said evenly, striking a nerve in me. "And for the record, I wouldn't waste time trying to play matchmaker considering you're the most indecisive person I know. And that includes _me_."

I licked my lips, irritated at how he was actually right. I was in a limbo with my heart and my head. Both parts were pulling me different directions and there was nobody to blame for the mess but myself. I scratched the stitching on my cardigan nervously. "I hate that everyone but me has been right lately."

"Don't feel to hard on yourself, Red. Not everyone was fortunate enough to be born with brilliance like mine." He replied in the arrogant tone I was so familiar with. "Now I hate to ruin this little moment we're having, but you're ruining the peaceful atmosphere I've created in here, so scram."

"Ugh, you're kicking me out? I have more complaining to do though." I whined jokingly.

Tony scoffed and shook his head. "Why don't you go bother Banner? Complain to him, he won't exactly listen but you'll feel better afterward."

"Pepper wants us to spend quality time together, though." I reminded him with a smirk. I was distracting him and it amused me.

"How about this, next time you decide to piss off a mob like Juliano's I'll tag along for the fun." He said, smiling brightly at me, referring to the incident from the other night.

I rolled my eyes and laughed before turning to leave. "Thank you, Tony. Your words of wisdom inspire me."

"I aim to please."

Twenty minutes.

I tapped my foot, hearing the sounds of the city as I waited by the curb near the taco truck. Frowning, I checked my watch for the tenth time in the last ten minutes and debated on leaving. Peter was twenty minutes late and I had texted him twice with no response.

I decided I'd wait a little while longer.

Ten more minutes passed, twenty and finally after almost waiting an hour, I pushed down the hurt I felt and walked up to the taco truck window, ignoring the sympathetic looks of the workers and ordered my dinner. For _one_.

After eating, I began my walk home. I had never been stood up before, I can safely say it was a horrible, _horrible_ feeling. The sensible part of myself knew that there was probably a logical explanation for his no-show but I didn't care. The rejection and the anger I had toward myself bubbled beneath the surface of my senses. Even after two years, was I so emotionally weak that I was still able to be so deeply affected by Peter?

I was a few blocks from home when I felt the hair on the back of my neck raise and I halted my steps, immediately clenching my hands into fists for a fight. I was about to call out for whoever it was to show themselves, but the words died on my tongue as Spider-Man swung down in front of me. My mouth went dry and I stared at him, shocked at how much I missed seeing him. Suit and all.

"I'm sorry, I'm _so_ sorry." Peter started, his words slightly muffled by the mask. "I didn't forget, I swear."

I stood there silently as he walked up to me and moved his hand to touch my hair before second guessing it and lowering it back to his side. My eyes went to the tear in his suit where a dark red was staining the fabric and my hand went forward without thought to hover over the wound. "Are you okay?"

He looked down, as if he didn't even know he was hurt. "Huh? Oh that, yeah, I'm fine."

"It looks like it needs stitching." My fingers pressed against the area around the wound and I gave Peter a look as the action caused him to flinch in pain. "I don't have anything here to mend it, but I do have some equipment in my apartment."

Mask and all, I was left breathless when I felt him wrap his arms around me. Then without warning he stretched his arm out and we shot up toward the sky.

"Peter!" I screeched in surprised, gripping tightly to his neck. It had been a while since... _this_. After a few moments we reached my apartment's balcony and I pushed him away to regain my composure. "A little warning next time, please?" I bit out, breathlessly as he chuckled. "Wait, how did you know I lived here?"

Peter raised his arm and placed it on the back of his neck as he laughed nervously. _Unbelievable_ , I thought with a shake of my head. I led him inside and kicked off my heels.

"Nice place."

I ignored Peter's attempt at small talk and pulled out my first aid kit before patting the counter. With an expectant look, I patted the counter again. "Lay down. I need the skin to be relaxed and I can't have that if you're sitting or standing. Now, up."

Peter removed his mask, revealing a nice shiner and a bloody lip. He didn't break eye contact as he removed his shirt and I had no shame in admiring the muscles hidden underneath. With a smug raise of his eyebrows he placed his top on the bar stool and laid on the counter in front of me while his legs dangled off the edge.

His chest was glistening with sweat and his lower abdomen was smeared with blood. Grabbing a damp towel I began to dab at the wound, prepping the skin to be cleaned and fixed. With a heavy sigh, my hands slowed as I felt his eyes on my face. I muttered an apology when I applied alcohol to the skin, causing his muscles the clench under my fingers.

"How is your power coming along?" He asked, breaking the tense silence after a few minutes.

I looked up briefly, my face still toward the wound as I continued working. "Um... it's fine. I have control over it now if that's what you're asking."

"Just trying to figure out how to not make things awkward." He answered with a curve of his lips.

I bit my lip in attempt to keep from smiling but Peter managed to catch it and his grin grew wider. I secured his last stitch and reached for the damp towel again, leisurely dabbing until the only red on the skin was from temporary irritation. "So, you still work at the Bugle?"

"Uh, yeah- yeah, I uh still take photos for the paper."

"And you work alongside that Brant woman." I pressed, finally looking up at him. "I mean, you guys are close colleagues?"

"Rose," His voice was a whisper in the silence of my kitchen. His hand clamped over mine, stopping the ministrations against his skin. My heart was beating rapidly and I felt my mouth part in anticipation as he gingerly moved toward me, fervid eyes roaming over my stance before lingering on my lips.

My hand was squeezing his and I hastily listed off every reason I _needed_ to back away at the moment in my head before mentally saying _screw it_ and surrendering. My heart was beating so fast, I was sure Peter could hear it with his enhanced hearing. Hot breath intermingled with mine as his lips drew nearer, the scent of cedar flooding my senses.

 _This was it._

And then my cellphone went off.


	7. Chapter 7

For once, I really hated the Beatles. The song Blackbird echoed loudly as my phone continued to ring, and I stepped back from Peter quickly before rushing to the table to answer it. "Hello?"

"Rose, it's Rebecca."

"Mom, hi." The fact that she hadn't addressed herself as my mother was not lost on me and her tone was clipped and distant.

"I'm calling to let you know your father is dead. He was attacked two weeks ago. His research, all of it was stolen... He suffered too much trauma, brain damage. The doctors did everything they could. I had no other choice than to let them pull the plug."

I couldn't believe it... the woman I was speaking to was _not_ my mother. The cold, bitter tone. The complete disregard for how she had just slammed me with such information... Told me such news like she was reading from a off a paper. Straightforward and blunt.

My legs gave out and my body fell to the nearest chair. Peter rushed to my side and knelt in front of me. "What the hell do you mean he was attacked _two weeks ago_? Why wasn't I called? Why are telling me this way?"

"I've had other things on my mind, Rose! Things to deal with!" She snapped from the other end, her breathing coming out harshly. "Do not bother coming to Australia, he was buried yesterday. There are belongings that he left for you, and I took the liberty of shipping them to the States."

"Oh, well _thank you_! Thank you for taking that liberty!" I yelled, my voice hoarse with emotion. He was dead. My father was dead. And she hadn't told me. "How dare you! How _dare_ you tell me this over the phone! Like _this_! I'm your daughter for Christ's sake!"

"You are NOT my daughter!" She screamed, her cold demeaner shattering as she began to cry. My heart broke as she continued, filled with rage. "You ruined any sense of normalcy this family had the day you revealed your mutation! The way he obsessed over it... It ruined _everything_! Our home! Our marriage!"

Her admission hit me like a semi truck and my chest began to heave as I fought to maintain control over myself. My lips quivered and my tongue felt heavy in my mouth. Hesitantly, I continued, "I didn't ask to be this way. I didn't ask to be born this way."

"But you were, along with the rest of those abominations, and because of it you cost this family _everything_! And I will _never_ forgive you for that!" Her cries were full of anguish and hate... _toward me_.

Sobbing, I lost control of my ability and threw the phone against the wall, shattering it.

Peter was frozen in place, the raw emotion of agony on his face. He had heard all of it, I knew. There was no way he couldn't have. I flicked my wrist. He didn't move. I needed to calm down. I needed... to calm... down. The conversation replayed in my mind, sentence after sentence, word after word. I ran up to my bathroom and drew a bath. _Calm down, calm down_. _Deep breath_.

It wasn't working and my breathing became more erratic. I stumbled to my medicine cabinet, fumbling with the mirror before opening it and pulling out medication. I popped a pill in my mouth and stripped before stepping into the scalding water filling up the tub. _Calm. Calm_. Dad. _Calm. Calm_. Dad.

A strangled sob tore from my throat as I continued to replay the conversation in my head. I desperately tried to remember any fond memories I had with my father, but none came up. I only had the memories of phone calls and emails. He loved me. I knew that. I regretted that there was nothing else.

Someone had attacked him. Left him brain dead. _Why_?

Why did my mother - _Rebecca_ blame me? It sure sounded like she blamed me. Was his attack and my mutation linked? Whether or not the former was true or if it was just her dislike of mutants in general, there was no denying my being brought into the family had negative consequences.

"Rose!" I heard Peter yell from downstairs. "ROSE!?"

I tried to call out to him but my throat was tight with emotion. Swallowing thickly, I splashed the water, knowing his ears would catch the sound. His footsteps were loud as he raced up the stairs. He burst through the door before abruptly turning away from me. I almost smiled despite the situation at his sense of courtesy. "Peter."

He licked his lips and turned his face toward me, his eyes respectfully staying above my neck. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, feeling the Xanax's effects. "My mutation... my father was obsessed over it. He was attacked for his research. Why else would they have stolen it and killed him?"

"No," Peter said, walking toward me and croutching down as he leaned against the tub. "Rose, I'm telling you, do _not_ go down this road. Trust me. Of all people, trust me."

I nodded, knowing he was right. Of all the people, Peter had experienced loss, felt the guilt for more than just one life. I trusted him. After all this time I trusted him completely.

It was comforting. Having Peter here. We sat for I don't know how long, as he let me mourn. Soon after, the water became cold and my fingers wrinkled like a raisin. My mind was calm, thanks to the medication but it didn't stop me from analyzing every word that my mother had said.

"I can't think of a single memory where it was just me and him." I broke the silence, splashing my hands around. "Professor Xavier mentioned something to me before I left school... He said my father was drawn to me, like a light. Everything I know about my father revolves around his passion for his research."

Peter cupped my cheek and gently directed my face toward his. "You think his research was about mutation?"

My eyes moved over the water, following the movement of my legs as I lifted my knees further up in a comfortable position. "I don't know." I replied, shaking my head. "But I'm going to find out."

 _I will find out._


	8. Chapter 8

In the weeks that followed my mother's call, Pepper had been hovering more than usual. Making sure I was fine. Even after assuring her I was, I was just glad she was actually here unlike the last time I lost someone. I was coping the best I could - and that entailed me doing everything in my power to find out who was behind my father's death. However, because it was in Australia that left at me with a bit of a disadvantage. With no money for a plane ticket, and Pepper's disapproval to go with ill intent, I was stuck saving money like the average twenty two year old. I had forgotten how cushy my life had been lately.

Black Sabbath blasted through the stereo of Tony's living room and Pepper set the plates on the table with a pinched face. She had insisted I have a nice, normal family dinner with her and Tony. I nearly guffawed over the thought. It was never normal here.

"Tony, would you mind turning that off? Dinner's almost ready." She called out, a hand on her hip. I hid a smirk at how un-Pepper she looked with her hair disheveled and a stained apron tied around her small waist. Apparently out of everything she was perfect at, cooking was not one of them. I still appreciated how she had went to the trouble for me.

"I do mind, actually. It helps me concentrate." He replied, waving his hand over the mess he had on the coffee table in front of him.

Pepper pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "That's why I told you to finish your work before you came upstairs."

"Um, I recall you telling me to come upstairs asap for a dinner that we never usually have, which also by the way, isn't even ready."

Pepper stomped into the kitchen, seconds later coming out out with a bowl of salad. She placed it roughly on the table in front of me. "Well, excuse me for wanting to do something nice for Rose and give her a nice family dinner."

"Red, do you want this dinner?" Tony then asked me, looking my way.

Pepper waved her hand. "Don't bring her into this, of course she does."

"You don't let the girl speak because you know she'll side with me."

"This is not about sides! Turn the music off and sit down. We are going to enjoy a meal together if it kills us."

"It just might if you were the one who cooked it." Tony said, gaining a fearsome glare from Pepper. The music turned off and Tony seated himself next to me. Leaning over, he whispered. "Do you think she poisoned my plate?"

I took a sip from my wine and patted his cheek. "Absolutely."

Pepper stormed out with a dish plated with a giant burnt chicken. She slammed it down on the table and glared at both of us. "Not a word."

The next couple days after passed in a blur with how quick they flew by. It was a Tuesday now, and I had opted to stay late at work to finish paperwork I was behind on. When I was nearly done, I began organizing some of it for Bruce. He stood up across from me and stretched. "Must be an illusion." His voice called out lightly, breaking the silence - save for Bear's panting.

"What is?" I asked, not looking up from my work.

"You being here past your work hours." He replied jokingly.

I raised my eyebrow and smiled as I filed the last paper. Closing the filing cabinet, I leaned back in my swivel chair and lowered my hand to pet Bear who had stood by my desk the last hour to stare at my unfinished sandwich. "What can I say, Doc? I'm a devoted employee."

He chuckled and tapped his glasses in his palm. With a moments hesitation, he spoke cautiously. "How are you feeling, Rose?"

 _Well, I can't really sleep and I'm going crazy with lack of closure._ "Fine." I smiled, in what was hopefully a reassuring one.

Bruce nodded slowly, still standing. "If you ever need to talk..."

"I thought you weren't that kind of doctor?" I grinned, thankful for his concern as his sentence trailed off in implication.

With a smile, he continued with genuine sincerity. "Not as a patient. As a friend."

It was amazing to see how far he had come from when we first met. The corners of my mouth lifted on their own accord and I walked up to give him a hug. "Thank you, Bruce."

When he pulled away, he gave a light pat to my cheek and gathered his things before whistling for Bear to follow him to his apartment downstairs. "Don't blow anything up, alright?" He called out before he left.

I waited till the door shut before returning to my desk. "No promises."

For the next three hours I spent my time looking anything up about my father's work and his office. Nothing was found on his website except a eulogy written from his assistant physiologist, Anastasia Rutledge. _In Memory Of_ the title read on the front page of his website.

There was nothing written on his death, suspicious circumstances, stolen work, suspects. Nothing. No articles, no news reports. I wanted to pull my hair out in frustration. It would just have to wait until I saved enough money to travel there, I thought begrudgingly. I rubbed my eyes hoping to rub out the strain they'd taken from recieving only the computer's light to look at.

I was about to gather my things and leave when I picked up voices from outside the door, instantly recognizing one as Peter's and the other as a woman's. In a small moment of panic, I did what any sensible person in my situation would do.

I hid under the desk.

 _Very original, Evans._

The voices grew louder as the door opened and they were in the office. I bit back a curse and steadied my breathing, hoping that Peter wouldn't catch the noise.

"-so sorry, I've just looked everywhere and I thought maybe I forgot it in here after I left yesterday." The woman's voice spoke and I quickly recognized it as that Brant woman. Was Peter still seeing her? After he stayed with me the night I found out my father passed away, I had avoided him like the bubonic plague. I didn't want to drag him into my obsession with my father's murder, knowing full well he had his own problems as Spider-Man to deal with. I just hoped he wasn't taking it personally.

"Oh, yeah no worries. Let me just check my desk." I heard him say, a smile clearly evident through his tone.

I heard him walk to his desk and my eyes widened as the click of heels made their way toward my own. Suddenly, I remembered that I stupidly forgot to turn off my monitor and my purse was also still sitting atop as well. _Shit_ , I mouthed, thinking of excuses to say when I was caught.

"Betty, I found it!" I heard Peter call out. I mentally gave a sigh of relief as her footsteps stopped and moved toward his direction.

She gave a breathless laugh and I assumed she took whatever it was she left back. "Thank God! Can you imagine Jameson if I didn't have my article on his desk tomorrow morning? Thank you, Peter."

"No problem, I've been on the end of Jameson's anger and I just don't think you could handle it." I heard Peter joke. My lip curled in distate and I rolled my eyes, feeling incredibly stupid for hiding.

"Oh, really? Because if I remember correctly, it was me who got you out of being fired that day. Jameson's threats don't scare me." The flirtation was dreadfully obvious and my heart beat rapidly with the apprehensive thoughts if they were going to kiss. Oh God, I hoped not.

Peter laughed quietly and I heard a shuffling sound. Because I apparently loved to torture myself, I pressed my head against the desk to hear more but ended up hitting the metal instead. Wincing, I quickly rubbed my forehead, feeling incredibly foolish. Footsteps padded their way toward my desk and I slapped myself mentally.

"What is it? Is... something wrong?" Betty asked, her voice laced with hurt and uncertainty.

Peter's shoes met my vision and then his head came next under the desk. His eyes widened comically and with a small wave I mouthed hi. Peter stood back up quickly and I heard him walk to Betty. "No, nothing's wrong. I just- I have so much work to do, and tomorrow I have to do that ...thing."

"What thing?"

There was a pause and I imagined Peter had that look on his face when he was trying to come up with a bullshit lie. "You know, that- that thing I told you about. Didn't I tell you?"

"No." Was the curt reply. She was obviously angry. "You know Peter, I don't get you. One day you're flirting with me and the next you can't even be bothered to talk to. Am I not attractive?"

"Wha- yeah, I mean of course you are."

"Am I not intelligent? Funny?"

"Y-you are, yes. But I-"

"Then why have you not asked me on a date yet? It's been a year since my divorce and I don't know how many more hints I have to throw your way before you get that I'm into you." She said angrily, catching me off guard. She looked incredibly young to be divorced and I strained to hear more. I must have look comically ridiculous.

"It's... complicated, Betty. I'm sorry, I never meant to lead you on." Peter said genuinely upset.

"What a crock of shit. Of course you did. Before your friend came back to New York, you showed an interest in me, but now things are weird between us." I heard her say sadly. As much as I disliked the woman and her phony writing, I felt slightly sympathetic for her. _Slightly_.

"I'm know, I'm sorry. Honestly, I am. Things are just- complicated right now."

There was a moment of heavy silence before she whispered, "I hope things work out for you, Peter."

I strained to hear anything else but all I got was the sound of the door closing a minute later. Peter's shoes came into vision again. "You can come out now."

"You mean I can't die of embarrassment here?" I joked awkwardly crawling out from under the desk. When I stood, Peter was look at me strangely.

"Why were you hiding under a desk?" He asked stuffing his hands in his pockets. How did one act in such a predicament?

I dipped my head and fingered my hair. "It wasn't my first choice! I just panicked when I heard you."

"What was your first choice?" He asked with furrowed brows and an amused curve of his lip.

"To run away." I admitted sheepishly under his gaze.

He cocked his head and let out a breath. "Well, you are good at that."

At his remark, I pursed my lips and gave him a look. His only response was to laugh lightly as he looked down. My brain wracked itself for something to break the quiet that had followed and I blurted out, "I'm sorry about you and Betty. I mean, for listening in on a private conversation. And everything else is."

Peter's cheeks tinged pink and his grin vanished, the moment lost. "I'm sorry you heard that. I... Well we weren't-"

My hand rose to stop him mid sentence. "We don't have to do that. I was gone. You had a life to keep living. End of story."

Peter nodded, looking thoughtful. "And now you're here."

"And now I'm here." I repeated quietly, my eyes searching his face for a sign at what he was implying.

He looked at me and spoke tenderly. "How have you been?"

Frustrated, I rubbed a hand over my mouth thinking back to my empty results about my father's murder. "Honestly, I've been better. But, the world keeps going on, and so will I. I'll mourn properly when whoever did this is brought to justice."

Peter's demeanor shifted and he looked at me speculatively. "You're not going to try and get this guy, are you?"

For a moment, I struggled internally about whether or not I should lie, seeing as I had avoided Peter lately for the sole reason not to burden him with this. Yet, it wouldn't feel right to lie to him about something like this. I would simply let him know what I was doing and assure him I was capable of solving it on my own _. Yeah, right. His stubbornness could rival yours._

 _"_ Rose, tell me you're not going after this guy?" He asked again, his look betraying the fact that he already knew the answer.

"Relax, Peter. You forget I can handle myself." I told him, switching off the monitor and grabbing my purse. "Yes, I am going to find out who murdered my dad. No, you don't need to worry. And yes, I am doing it alone."

He released a sigh that sounded more like a groan and clasped his hands behind his neck, his muscles flexing beautifully from the action. "Do you always have to be so stubborn? And closed off?"

"Like you're one to talk." I snorted, making my way to the door as he followed. "And I'm not closed off, quite the opposite, you know. I'm an open book to anyone who cares to pay attention. I'm a mess, Peter."

"Well, if you think you're bad then I'm scared to know what you think about me." He laughed good-naturedly.

My head tilted to the side, taking a moment to ponder what he said. There were many flaws Peter had, but why did I overlook them? No matter what bad he could do or had done, there was no part of me that viewed Peter in a negative light. He was a hero, not only to New York, but to me personally as well. If it weren't for him I wouldn't have created Shadow. I wouldn't have had the oppurtunity or desire to meet Pepper. He was a hero for a reason, and despite his stubborness, his forgetfulness, his smart remarks, his compassion -Yes, even his compassion could be a fault at times for how much he could let it affect him - His goodness always outshined them. His loyalty, his love, his sense of responsibilty...

My hand went up to his cheek and I gently traced my thumb along his jawline. "I think you are the most selfless, caring and loving man I've ever had the priveledge of knowing. And I would never think anything less."

There was a heat in eyes that made my stomach coil in anticipation. Truthfully, I hadn't thought of our almost kiss until this moment, for my mind had been on other things, but as soon as it came up, my breath caught in my throat and I felt a warmth spread from my chest to my core.

"Rose, I love you. I'm in love with you." He revealed heatedly, his hand coming up to rest on my neck. It was strong and warm against my skin and I wondered if my eyes were just as expressive with desire as his own. _He loved me_.

In a frenzied movement his mouth was on mine and I moaned without thought as his tongue danced against my own with fervor. "God," He groaned as our bodies moved against the nearest wall.

Solid and strong. That was all I could think as his body pushed against me, grinding me against the wall. My hands tangled in his messy, chestnut colored locks and I found myself heavy in the drug that was his kiss. Everything was a haze and I pushed my body up against his, trying to satisfy the ache between my legs. Peter hissed in pleasure and I felt a bubble of delight for being the one to elicit such a sound.

I don't know how long we stood there in the empty hallway but time was lost to me. Cries and whimpers bloomed from my throat and had I not been overcome with desire, the sounds would have had me blushing bright red. Peter responded to my moans with his hands as they trailed down from my neck to my waist, lighting a fire with their wake. It felt too soon when he parted from me, his lips red and eyes lidded. "Rose," he whispered huskily, stepping back.

My body protested at the loss of his touch as we parted completely and I placed a hand on my chest, feeling my skin still burning.

"I-"

"If you say you're sorry I will personally render you unconscious." I grinned, giving him a look to reassure that I had no regret. He mirrored my action and stepped closer to me, his body a whisper away from my own.

"I was going to say that I don't want to push you too far. I shouldn't have dumped that on you with everything that's happened."

I refrained from rolling my eyes. _Ever chivalrous_ , Peter was. I couldn't be mad though -May had just raised him too well. "Peter, if I didn't want you, that wouldn't have happened."

The smirk I had come to miss over the last couple years graced his face with a gratified air. "You want me?"

The fabric of his shirt teased the pads of my fingertips as I moved them in an upward motion from his navel to his chest. "I never stopped, Peter." The truth and the vulnerability through my admittance was almost tangible as the words left my lips and I could tell Peter understood.

He leaned forward, catching my lips in a slower more rythmic kiss than the one prior. Every part of him overwhelmed me and I wondered if I would walk away drunk from it all. It was sensual and it filled me up and left me aching for more all at once.

When we broke apart, I delicately kissed the corner of his mouth and sighed in content. This was the first time in a while I felt peace within myself.

Our eyes locked and his breath tickled my face as he spoke. "Let me take you out." Although it was tentative, it wasn't a question.

"Okay." I agreed in a whisper, afraid to speak louder in fear of breaking such an intimacy. His smile made my heart jump up to my throat and I never wanted to leave this moment. It seemed no matter what was thrown at us, we would find our way to each other again. Even after the last couple years we had grown apart and lived different lives, here we were. A tangled mess of limbs and meaningful looks. "The gala Pepper's been obsessing over is next monday." I brought up, suddenly feeling shy for some reason. "Go with me?"

"Will I have to suit up?"

I flicked his arm playfully and answered, "Yes. And not the red and blue kind."

"Okay." He agreed, running his hand through my knotted hair. "On one condition."

I raised my brow at his impishness. "And what's that?"

"Let me walk you home." He responded, looking pleased with himself. I couldn't help but chortle at his dorkishly adorable smile.

Nodding my head, I pushed myself off the wall. "Okay, deal."


	9. Chapter 9

The cushion of my bed did nothing for my fatigue as I rolled around, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. My body was exhausted but my mind was wide awake and alert. The sting of Peter's lips on mine left a permanent marker on my skin and I was helpless to be rid of it. With an annoyed huff, I pulled out my phone and turned my television on to pass the time— accepting the fact that I would be getting absolutely no sleep tonight.

 _"—a ten-year-old girl was abducted from her front yard yesterday evening. Neighbor's surveillance cameras captured a red Toyota Camry driving in front of her apartment complex around four p.m. before an unidentified male seemingly coaxed the child into the vehicle before taking off. Witnesses reported they only got a glimpse of the man's face—,"_

I sat in my bed, studying the sketch of the kidnapper that appeared on the screen before getting up to put my suit on. It was late, but I didn't care as I made my way down the elevator to Pepper's place. There was no point in waking them and I definitely didn't want a lecture, so instead I chose to lockpick the front door. "JARVIS?" I called out quietly as I made my way to the living room to turn on the news.

"Good evening, Miss Evans. What can I do for you?"

"Pull out any facial identification matches for the suspect on the screen. Who is he?" I looked over my shoulder toward the staircase, making sure I hadn't woken anyone up. After a couple minutes, JARVIS spoke clearly.

"Identification: Thomas Anthony Burrel. Home address 467th Madison Drive. Occupation: Mechanic."

I memorized the address and thanked JARVIS before taking off with a sprint.

II

The house was eerily quiet and there were no unusual sounds coming from anywhere... Sneaking my way around the back gate and shooing a cat away, I reached down to my utility belt to pull out my lockpicks and opened to back door. Crouched down, I began to make my way across the kitchen to find signs that the man had come home alone or with the girl. There were a set of keys on the counter, a cell phone and a plate of nearly finished food on the table. Without hesitation, I grabbed the cell phone and looked through the pictures to confirm this was the same man from the sketch. And indeed, it was.

Walking toward the staircase, a pair of girl undergarments on the floor in front of the man's stacked washer and dryer froze my heart within my chest with dread. With a shaky gloved hand, I reached toward the clothing and prayed there was no blood on them. Thankfully there wasn't. But that did not ease the horror and anger I felt.

Startled from my thoughts I pressed myself against the stairs, blending in with the shadows as footsteps echoed loudly above me on hardwood floor. My jaw clenched and I thought of ways I could make this disgusting human being pay for his crimes. The sound of a shower running met my ears and I concluded the man was unsuspicious of my being here. I was about to go upstairs when the muffled sound of sniffling came from directly behind my head. Turning around I realized there was a closet underneath the staircase and I quickly opened the door, reaching for my small flashlight on my belt. The only things in sight were a couple labelled boxes and junk. My free hand began to feel the wall, trying to find a hollow spot. I pushed a rack of sweaters back and saw a small latch.

Eagerly, I opened the hidden panel to reveal the missing girl and held back a gasp at her form. She was nude and had the most heartbreaking expression on her face. With my appearance, she was sure to draw attention and I quickly shut shushed her, hoping not to alert the man as I kneeled beside her, grabbing a sweater off a hanger and covering her with it. "Hey," I whispered, her eyes widening with mistrust toward me. "It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to make sure you get back home."

"...home?" She whimpered, pulling the sweater around her small frame.

"Yeah," I nodded with a smile. "What's your name?"

"Tanya." Was her timid response. "What's yours?"

Grinning in relief over the fact she was warming up to me, I said, "You can call me Shadow." Tanya murmured a soft 'oh' and sniffed. "Did he hurt you?" I had tried to put as much softness in my voice and hoped my anger toward the man had not filtered through and scared her.

She looked down as if ashamed and my stomach tightened in fear. The small amount of hope I had had was killed off by her look. There was a brokenness in her eyes that should _never_ rest in child; my jaw clenched and I fought off the nausea once more before grabbing her hand and lowering my frame to be at eye level with her. "It's okay, you don't need to tell me."

She sniffed and nodded. "...I want to go home."

"You will, I promise." I told her, looking over my shoulder to make sure nobody was trying to sneak up on us. "But first, I'm going to take care of that bad man and make sure he _never_ hurts you or anyone again. Is that okay with you?"

The little girl nodded causing her ebony curls to bounce with the movement. The sound of running water stopped and she whimpered in fear, scooting her body closer to mine for protection. Rubbing her shoulder to reassure her, I pulled out the man's cellphone and handed it to her. "Call 911 and tell them your name—let them know you're safe. Make sure you're not too loud until a police officer shows up, no matter what you hear. Can you do that for me, Tanya?"

Her eyes filled with panic and I continued to rub her shoulder. "I won't leave until the police get here. They will take you home and I'll make sure you'll stay safe until they come. Okay?"

"O-okay."

I crawled out of the space and almost made out before Tanya's voice interrupted me. "...Are you like Spider-Man?"

Looking over my shoulder at her, I grinned. "Sort of."

With that, I took off toward the stairs, moving stealthily until I reached the room where light was being emitted from underneath the door. I went to twist the handle but rolled my eyes in annoyance when I found out it was locked. Standing up, I finally decided this was not the time to be quiet. With a grunt I kicked the door down and my eyes went to the man on the bed. He jumped up and his apathetic face morphed into terror. "I have a few words for you Mr. Burrel."

"What do you want?" He cried out, putting his hands up. "Are you a cop?"

"Cops play nice." I growled, grabbing the duct tape that was placed conveniently on the dresser near the door. Burying the disgust on why it was there in the first place, I felt a rush of adrenaline at his fear. " _I don't._ "

I had already anticipated that he would lunge for the gun he had on his nightstand and flicked my wrist when his eyes glanced in its direction. My body circled his frozen frame slowly before grabbing his arms and wrapping the tape around his wrists behind his back. I flicked my wrist again and enjoyed the cries of hysteria he released as he was suddenly restricted in movement. I'm sure my sudden appearance of being in front of him didn't help alleviate his fear, either.

I brought my leg up and kicked him in the chest, sending him to the floor with a loud thump. "You like to take children from their homes?" I jeered in disgust while bringing my hands down and fisting the front of his shirt to lift him up. Using all my upper body strength, I shoved him into the armchair he had near his closet ungracefully and ignored his panicked panting.

I flung myself forward and used my forearm to cut off his breathing as I pushed it against his throat. The movement caused the legs of the chairs to screech against the wood floors as it dragged until hitting the wall. "You like hurting little girls?" My anger was boiling beneath my skin and there was no sympathy toward the coward in front of me. The man's eyes began to bulge and his face was turning a deep shade of scarlet. Bearing my teeth at him, I stepped back to let him breathe again. There were tears running down his cheeks and my lip curled in disdain.

"I-I'm sorry!" He coughed, heaving pathetically. "I need help! I _want_ help! Please, I won't do it again, just don't kill me."

"And spare you the punishment your fellow inmate will have for you in the prison? I don't think so." I sneered, reaching down in my belt for my grapple gun as the alert of police sirens sounded in the distance. The man in front of me looked at it with wide eyes.

"I thought you weren't going to kill me!?" He cried out in panic and he began to squirm in his seat.

My free fist went down and connected with his nose, eliciting a pained wail from him. Another one came down, and I punched him again, hard enough to draw blood. "You will never, _ever_ hurt another child again, will you?"

In the midst of gurgled cries and snot, the man shook his head emphatically. "I won't! I _won't_!"

My head snapped toward the door and the sounds of voices drifted up from downstairs. The police had made it. I ran to the window and opened it, getting myself ready to leave before I was caught. Aiming at the next building, I fired my hook and soared off the ledge onto the roof of the next building over before placing the gun back into its holster. Knowing full well the cops were about to sweep the area, I stayed in the shadows and jumped to the fire escape on the next building over, running down until I was on the pavement once more.

Poking my head from behind a wall, I wanted to make sure Tanya had gotten out safely. A couple moments later, an officer emerged from the house with her in his arms and I let out a sigh of relief. With one final glance, I said a quick prayer for her to get home safely and ran off into the night.

II

After dragging my exhausted body through the front door, I kicked it shut and walked to my table to plop down ungracefully into a chair. I flicked my wrist to resume the time I had paused in order to come back home unnoticed and let my head drop on table with a thud before yawning loudly and pulling out my phone. _Missed Call: Peter, New Voicemail: Peter_

My finger pressed the play button and the sound of Peter's voice filled me with content and calm as he began to speak. Closing my eyes, I lowered my head and succumbed to sleep.

 _"Hey, It's me... Peter. I uh- I was just wondering about the gala.. thing, whatever - am I supposed to be at a full fancy level, or can it be semi fancy? You know I only have one suit and that would definitely be inappropriate for the event... Heh... Also, I know it's late but your name came up on dispatch tonight. Well not yours exactly but you know... What trouble are you getting into now? ...Call me back when you're not busy wreaking havoc..."_


	10. Chapter 10

_"-and the family couldn't be more thankful to have their little Tanya back home safely. And while there's still controversy of the intentions on the recent reappearance of 'Shadow', the family couldn't be more grateful for the masked vigilante. Back to you, Grace."_

"A little cliche, wouldn't you say, Red?"

I looked up from my sketch and across the counter to Tony who was attempting to make an omelette for Pepper. He gestured toward the television screen. "What?" I questioned, grabbing a sliced bell pepper and popping it into my mouth. "Saving children from disgusting pigs is cliche?"

"It is, actually." Tony agreed, pointing his spatula at me. "You need to raise the bar. Expand your horizons. Take me, for example. I went to _Yemen_ yesterday to rescue six families from a full fledged terrorist organization bombing their town. _Six_. Am I a hero? Yes."

"Tony, I don't know if you remember while being sucked up in that wormhole, but I did fight against _aliens_ with the rest of the team a couple years back." I deadpanned, reaching for another bell pepper.

Tony clenched his jaw and looked away with a flinch. _Whoops_ , I forgot Pepper told me not to mention aliens. Or wormholes. I was about to apologize when Pepper walked in looking slightly frazzled. She had in both hands two different dresses and looked expectantly at me. "Which one?"

On the right was a silk beige dress with a sinched bodice and a slit in the back. On her left she had a very deep emerald colored dress where the laced hem barely brushed the floor and sparkling jewels adorned the single strap that would rest along her left shoulder. "Definitely the green." I answered, pointing with my pencil and then glancing back at Tony guiltily.

She smiled and looked at Tony before frowning worriedly. "Tony, are you okay?"

He took a deep breath and gave Pepper a fake smile. "Yeah, just sore from yesterday. And I second with the green. Very sexy."

Pepper looked unconvinced at his quick change of attitude but didn't say anything on the matter. She gave a slight nod and reluctantly resumed her talk about the gala for that evening. "I picked up your dress from the dry cleaners. It should be in your apartment on your table." She explained while tossing the beige dress on the nearest chair.

I sat back in confusion and felt my brows knit together in perplexity. "Pepper," I started, "I didn't buy a dress."

"I know. I did."

"Oh." I was still getting used to Pepper taking charge of everything, but grateful nonetheless. "Okay. Um, thanks, Pep." Standing up, I grabbed my sketches and walked to the front door ready to head back to my apartment. With my hand on the knob, I turned around. "What time does it start again?"

"Seven. So go take a bath, do your hair, makeup, whatever and meet me at the front at six exactly for Happy to take us. We _cannot_ be late." She said, stressing the last sentence while she looked at Tony. "Do you hear, Tony? We will not be late."

"Right. Nine sharp."

 _Four_ _and a half hours later..._

Looking in the mirror, I couldn't help but admire my appearance. Pepper had truly outdone herself with the dress she'd purchased for me. Deep scarlet, floor length with a daring slit on the side and a very low cut front. I could imagine myself in a crowd of people standing out like a phoenix amongst a flock of crows. Not that I was _bragging_ , but the dress was just simply too gorgeous. I twirled around girlishly, letting out an excited giggle. As embarrassing as it would sound, I felt like Cinderella. Going to her first ball and in the perfect outfit. _And no perfect outfit would be complete without the perfect shoes,_ I thought smiling as I picked up the shoe box and placed it on my bathroom counter. Lifting the first shoe out, I bit my lip in excitement. _Gorgeous_.

Black six inch stilettos, with elegant velvet heel and toe, the middle with soft lace. They were classy and bold - a deadly combo.

I slipped the heel on my foot, wriggling my toes to get accustomed. Tilting my head, I stuck my leg out, angling it in different poses to view the fit. _Much sexier than combat boots_ , I thought amused. _Wait until Peter sees me_. My stomach erupted in butterflies and let out a nervous breath while putting the other heel on. _I hope he likes it._

My phone vibrated with a text and I read Pepper's message to hurry downstairs. Grabbing my clutch, I jogged (well, as best I could in stilettos) to the door and hoped the evening would fare well.

Stuffy old men. Snooze filled conversations.

This was not exactly what I was expecting at a gala, but hey- maybe my perception of parties was compromised when I had been in attendance to three of Tony's. Speaking of the devil, he had tried to get me to take a few shots with him, which I graciously declined. However, the longer I waited for Peter to arrive, the more I seriously contemplated saying ' _the hell with it all!_ ' and just go for it.

I sipped on my ginger ale and scanned the room, feeling slightly awkward. So much for being a phoenix, I snorted. More like an ostrich dying to stick its head in the sand... Oh, there was Bruce! I maneuvered around a group of people and made my way to the bar where Bruce and Tony were now talking. Smiling widely, I interrupted the conversation. "Bruce! You're here!"

Bruce's eyes widened only slightly as he returned my smile. "Rose, you look amazing."

Flipping my hair dramatically, I laughed. "Why, thank you, _dahling_. You clean up nicely yourself. Love the bow tie."

He gave a genuine laugh and thanked the bartender as his drink was placed in front of him. "Thank you. Are you here by yourself?"

"Webster has yet to arrive." Tony interrupted, waving the bartender back to us. "I need two vodka martinis, extra dry, extra olives and one Zombie, light on the juice heavy on the 151."

"What the hell is a Zombie?" I questioned suspiciously, not trusting Tony in the slightest.

"A zombie, my dear, is what's going to get you through the next three hours if lover boy doesn't show up soon, mkay?" Reaching out he grabbed my drink that was placed in front of us and handed it to me. "Loosen up, Red. It's a party. It's supposed to be, you know, _fun_."

Biting my lip, I contemplated my options: one, I would be sober, probably without a date and found dead by boredom before midnight; _two_ , I would enjoy my zombie, trust Tony and probably end up cuddling some puppies again from the SPCA. Shrugging, I took a chug of my drink, deciding on the latter and enjoyed the warm rum slide down my throat. _Not good_ , I thought lowering the drink. _But not terrible._

I was about finished with my drink when I got a nudge from Bruce, whom I had been chatting with and looked over my shoulder. There was Peter. I felt the corners of my mouth lift up as he looked around like a lost puppy.

"Go on." Bruce smirked, grabbing my nearly empty glass and placing it on the counter.

I stood up and straightened my dress out nervously. The knots in my stomach tightened and for the life of me I couldn't understand why I was so nervous! Maybe I felt vulnerable. Maybe I was just plain drunk. I couldn't say for sure. Reaching up, I quickly tousled my hair in attempt to fix what might've gotten messed up in the short time I'd been there. Letting out a deep breath through my mouth, I looked at the amused face of my friend and gestured to myself. "Do I still look okay?"

"You look great, Rose." Bruce answered sincerely, before waving a hand at me. "Now go!"

Beaming, and feeling strangely light on my feet, I made my way toward Peter and admired him from the distance. His usual disheveled hair was combed back and he was in a well fitted suit. He looked absolutely nothing like himself, but in a way was still undeniably very Peter-like. His eyes caught mine and I felt a warm sensation pool at the bottom of my abdomen as they widened slightly before they roamed over my form. He grinned crookedly at me as I approached him and reached his hand out to finger a lock of my hair. "Wow, you look...- I mean, you're beautiful."

Shyly, I lowered my head, feeling my cheeks heat up and looked up at him through my lashes. "Thank you. You look great, too. Very dapper."

Peter stood there awkwardly and looked around. "So, what do we do at these sort of things?"

I grinned up at him, relaxing in his presence. "Drink. Socialize. The whole enchilada."

 _Mmm, enchilada_... Shaking my head, I reached over and ran my hand over his chest. "I'm hungry."

"I take it you've already started for the former." He said with a laugh, grabbing my hand and pulling me closer to him.

Nodding, I reached my hands up and wove them around his neck, resting them on his shoulders while my face pressed against his chest. The sound of his heartbeat was soothing and I closed my eyes with a sigh, feeling the tingling in my cheeks increase. "I think I'm buzzed."

His chest moved against my cheek as he laughed deeply, the mirth in his eyes radiant as he gazed down at me. "Well, let me catch up so we are on the same level."

He made to walk away but I hugged him tighter, unwilling to lose the warmth of his embrace. "Peter," I whispered breathlessly, looking up at him . "Will you dance with me?"

Peter smiled warmly at me, the lights above casting a warm glow over his face. The specks of amber and chestnut in his eyes were highlighted by them and I couldn't help but wonder if my eyes portrayed as much beauty and love as his. And while he gazed down at me with such a look, I felt my heart constrict almost painfully in my chest. _I was in love with Peter._ Not a crush. Not a fling. _No_ , my heart was fully devoted to him. His dorky personality. His stubborn ways, his wisecracks, his intelligence. His unyielding determination to help others.. His smile, his eyes - _God, his eyes_ \- everything. Completely _everything_ Peter Parker I was in love with.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" He smiled jokingly while leading me out to where others were already dancing to the music and breaking me out of my thoughts.

"You're a good dancer." I mumbled into his chest, swaying in a slow manner as he took the lead.

"Well, I might have had help from aunt May." He chuckled in admittance, a bit bashful. The vision of May teaching Peter to dance had me giggling. It was far too cute, and I could only imagine their bond being strengthened by such a familial act. "What about you? I mean, you're graceful on your feet in battle, but I gotta say I'm surprised how well you can dance- especially in those shoes."

Smiling, I thought back to when I had been taught how to dance. Looking up at him, I explained. "My grandpa taught me. I was fifteen and so upset I couldn't have a prom- you know, because of my homeschooling, but my grandparents bought me a really cute dress and the two of them dressed up and set up a whole evening in our living room. Their version of my prom." The sting of tears wet my lashes from the memory and I laughed lightly. It didn't cause sadness, the memory. No, there was only fondness. Peter's eyes continued to hold my own as he listened. "My dad had taught me how to fight and defend myself at a really young age, but coordination to a rhythm and music was totally out of my range. My grandpa taught me while listening to Jimmy Durante's _'I'll Be Seeing You'_." Shaking my head, I fondly recalled how often that song was played in my home growing up. "It was their favorite song, and when I was left with them, it eventually became mine."

Peter's hand left a heated trail as it roamed from my waist to the back of my neck. His thumb stroked across my skin and I wondered how I always managed to be undone by a single man's touch. "It must be a good song."

My eyes widened. "You've never heard it?"

Peter shook his head and the corner of his lips lifted in amusement at my response. "No. Well, maybe I have and I just don't know."

"You probably have." I concluded to him, nodding. With a low voice, I began to sing lowly so only he would hear my voice. " _I'll be seeing you, In every lovely summer's day. In every thing that's light and gay, I'll always think of you that way...I'll find you in the morning sun and when the night is new, I'll be looking at the moon... But I'll be seeing you._ "

My breath caught in my throat as the last note left my mouth. Peter's gaze on my face was intense, like he was searching for something. Not a second later were his hands cupping my face and his mouth on mine. I barely had time to react before he pulled away and lightly shook his head at me, a unreadable expression on his face. His next words lit a fire in my heart. "I love you, Rose." He expressed lowly, his voice full of the emotion his eyes had already betrayed. "God, I love you."

I swallowed, easing my throat as it had become tight in emotion. Yes, he had confessed his feelings toward me before, but hearing them again - from him again... there was no better feeling. Lifting my face up, I pecked his lips softly, whispering against them, "I never stopped loving you, Peter. I may have tried to, but I never did.."

Peter caught me once more in a heated kiss and I whimpered at the raw need that stirred within me. _To hell with all these people here!_ I didn't care that we may have inappropriately been making out in the middle of the dance floor, or that Peter hadn't been here even an hour - I wanted him to myself at that moment. "Peter," I moaned, breaking apart and catching my breath.

"Yeah?" He asked, his breath slowing to normal pattern as he stared at me with a dazed look.

Leaning up, I put my lips against his ear and whispered, "Let's get out of here."

If not for my desire taking up almost complete control of my emotions at the moment, I would have laughed at Peter's reaction to what I'd just told him. His eyes were wide and he visibly swallowed in an almost comical fashion. "Uh... get out? Like to-"

"My place." I interrupted with a ill concealed smirk.

Peter rubbed the back of his neck and looked to his left. I followed his gaze toward Pepper at the far end of the room speaking with a group of investors and grabbed his hand. "Peter?"

"Yeah," He finally nodded, brushing my hair away from my face. "Let's get out of here."

 _I'll be looking at the moon_  
 _But I'll be seeing you_


	11. Chapter 11

_Lemon chapter. If a mature rating makes you uncomfortable please wait for the next chapter, there's nothing missing in this chapter. Anyway, enjoy!_

Okay, so admittedly, once we got to the point of actually arriving at my apartment, the confidence in me earlier was dimmed. It didn't matter though, Peter and I were alone. Alone. By ourselves with a purpose to do a certain thing that had been earlier implied by former stated confidence. It's not like this was new territory for either of us, but it would be with each other and maybe that's why my nerves were in a frenzy.

Peter hung his suit's jacket over my dining chair, and was left only in his white button up shirt and slacks. Unabashedly, I bit my lip at the view of his muscles straining against the fabric and momentarily forgot that I was currently a nervous wreck. He caught my gaze and raised his brow suggestively. The awkward tension that had built up on our way here broke as we both laughed. The silent, silly communication we usually excelled at while masked was prominent right now, and I couldn't have been more grateful.

Feeling more at ease, I walked up toward Peter and lifted myself onto the table to sit. Swallowing, the feeling of fire came back full force at the look in Peter's eyes as he moved in front of me, his hands sliding up my thighs as they peeked from the slit of my dress. He came forward until he was settled between my legs and lowered his face to my neck. There was no kiss, only the promise of one as his warm breath teased the sensitive skin. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head, hoping he would give me what my body craved. The tips of his fingers tickled as he moved my hair back, and pushed the sleeve of my dress down and off my shoulder.

I inhaled sharply and concentrated on his ministrations as he continued to lightly caress every part of exposed skin. My shoulder, my collarbone, my jawline, it was all being scorched by the warmth of his slow strokes. When his lips settled on a spot right below my ear, I moaned deeply, hating and loving the buildup he may or may not have been aware of causing. An electrifying feeling soared from the skin beneath his lips to the apex between my thighs. I longed to release some tension that was building up there and I squeezed Peter's forearms while gripping his hips with my thighs.

Peter began to breathe roughly and a small moan escaped him, only arousing me further. " _Peter_ ," I begged, needing more. Needing... _something_.

Roughly, he gripped my bottom and pressed himself fully against me. My dress strained against my thighs, and I reached down between us to tear the slit higher, instantly relieving the sting and giving us a better advantage to be as close as possible with our clothing still in tact. "Fuck," He groaned, lowering his head to capture my lips in a delicious kiss.

His tongue tasted of spice and mint, and I lost myself in the dance our tongues were sharing. Peter's foul language only served as a turn on and I moved my hand up to grip his shoulder while also lifting my hips to grind against him- hoping to elicit more naughty language.

"Uungh, Rose." He hissed, his eyes lowering to my hips continuing their rhythm against his. His fingers on my rear tightened as they continued to lift off the table against his groin, and soon they were helping lift me with more ease to rub harder. "I can't-"

"Take me upstairs." I demanded adamantly, wrapping my legs around him and locking my arms around his neck. Looking down, I saw my heel was stabbing Peter, but he didn't seem to mind, or notice for that matter.

Our harsh breathing was intermingled with one another's as he lowered his forehead against mine and hurriedly walked up the stairs toward my bedroom. I placed kisses anywhere I could reach as he carried me, feeling a thrill at knowing I was causing his pleasure. I was making him feel good.

Once we reached my bed, Peter gently lowered me upon it before lowering himself to one knee. I watched through a heavy haze of what could only be indescribable desire and lust as he grabbed my leg and kissed the inside of my ankle. Licking my lips, I raised myself onto my forearms for a better view as he began placing open mouthed kisses along my calf. His hand moved from my calf and up to my inner thighs. "Can I...?"

" _Please_."

I nearly came undone right then and there as Peter's thumb lightly moved against my sex and up toward my clit. With precise movement, he began to rub against the bundle of nerves, and I thrust upward, _needing_ more. "Oh, God, Peter. _Oh_."

The sounds of our pants and moans were the most erotic noises I had ever heard or taken pleasure in hearing... Fuel to the inferno inside me. My breathing quickened as I felt him move my panties to the side and cried out when his finger slid in me, quelling the ache momentarily. "Yes. _Yes_."

" _Fuck_." He groaned again, only causing me to clench around his finger working me with satisfaction. Then his breath was near me and I reached down to grab his hair, effectively mussing up the slick look into his usual disarray of locks. A nimble finger began to pump with a tortuous slowness, and I looked over to see Peter observing his movements with a primal hunger. Never before had I been stared at in such a way. The intensity almost had me wanting to cover myself but Peter must've noticed a shift in the air, for his next words soothed my insecurities. "You're gorgeous."

His finger began to move in me with a faster pace and I could feel a coiling in my lower abdomen. " _Peter_ ," ...Yet, it wasn't enough.

"You smell so good." He whispered, ignoring my plea. His tongue darted out against my clit and I threw my head back at the sensation. With my hand still gripped in his hair, I pressed him forward gently, needing more. More, more... With a sudden movement, his finger left me and I gasped in dismay before being overcome by a different pleasure. Beneath my eyelids were stars as his tongue pressed against me. It moved along my slit, wet and hot, up and down and back up until he nibbled at my clit in the most torturous way.

With a loud moan I fell back and threw my arms behind me, gripping the fabric beneath in fistfuls. Peter's hands tightened on my bottom as he pulled me closer to his mouth, giving the most delicious friction. Still, I was ready to have more and I moved my hand against his forehead, regrettably pushing him away.

I had never seen his eyes so filled with passion- not in all the make out sessions we'd had- and felt a throb in my sex, desperate for a climax. "I need you _now_ , Peter."

This seemed to snap him out of his stupor and our eyes locked before he began to crawl over me. With one move, he had effectively ripped the rest of my dress and I was bare with nothing but my disheveled panties and stilettos. I licked my lips at the marvelled look in his eyes and a shuddered mewl escaped my throat. With hasty movements, Peter began to unbutton his shirt and I sat up to remove the remainder of my dress and toss it to the side.

As he kicked off his boxers, I stared appreciatively at his member. Once above me again, I reached out and gripped his length, moving my hand up to the top and down toward the base causing him to release a strangled moan. He quickly halted my movements and I looked up at him questionably. "I don't want to finish yet."

I nodded in understanding and pushed myself back against the pillows, enjoying as he admired my body. "Make me feel good, Peter." My voice was soft and sultry. The moment taking its toll on more than just my physical body. "Please."

There was no hesitation as Peter's hands immediately moved to my breasts. "Rose, you have _no_ idea..." They were warm and rough against my flesh. When he lowered his head and began to lick and nip at my sensitive peak, a blissful sigh escaped me and I trembled. He moaned around my nipple and the vibration sent a tremor down between my thighs.

"I need you inside of me." I begged desperately, wanton. Peter stopped and lightly bit my nipple before positioning himself over me. He gripped the back of my neck, silently asking with his eyes for permission to continue. Though appreciative for his forever gentlemanly ways, now was not the time to be polite or cautious. With a gentle prod of my heel against his thigh, I cried out in frustration. " _Peter_!"

With one slow movement, he was sheathed in me and my voice caught in my throat, leaving me only open mouthed and arched into him. He grunted near my ear before pulling out slightly and thrusting in again, harder this time. " _Fuck_!"

His hand was still gripped on the back of my neck and I dug my fingers into his arms, the muscles clenching as he began a steady rhythm and pace. The feeling of him inside me was so overwhelming, I began to shake. He fit so rightly inside me, and with every movement I felt my strangled cries become louder and more frenzied. "Yes. Yes! _Yes_! Peter, _ah_!"

The smack of his hips against mine was loud in the room and everything began to become disoriented. A tingling in my toes began to make it way up toward my sex and I reached down between our slick bodies to rub my clit. Peter's eye followed the movement and he grit his teeth and growled, sending a shiver up my spine and bringing me closer to the edge.

"I don't think I can hold on much longer," he panted through clenched teeth, reaching down to squeeze my breast.

"I'm so close." I moaned, placing my hand over his and squeezing as well. His thrusts became faster at my admission and I cried out as he began groaning and his breathing became harsher. "So close, so _close_."

Peter lowered his face until our lips met in a frantic kiss, both desperate for release. " _Oh_!" I cried out into his mouth as the tip of him began hitting just the right spot. "Oh, God! Don't stop! Peter, _Please_! Yes! _Yesyesyesyesyes_!"

There was a moment of pure nirvana and the scream I released died in my throat as the black and white spots diminished and my vision became clear again.

Collapsing back against the pillows, with Peter following suit, I released a sigh in pure contentment and turned my head to see him catch his breath. "Wow." He breathed, his eyes closed and a smile on his face.

I scooted against his naked form, making myself comfortable. "Yeah. Wow." I grinned drowsily at him as he opened his eyes and looked down at me.

He grinned wolfishly and pulled me tight against him. "You're loud."

My cheeks heated as I realized I _was_ loud. Nothing like my first time, when everything had been embarrassing, awkward and downright uncomfortable. No, with Peter I had reached a utopia and made my way there with many gratifications. "... Well, you have a dirty mouth."

"Mm, I didn't hear you complaining." Peter murmured humorously against my hair and his palm settled on my stomach. "In fact, I'd almost say you enjoyed it."

Though he sounded tired, Peter's voice held a very playful tone. Reaching down, I gripped his member and felt it begin to harden again at my touch. I brought my lips to ear before nibbling on the lobe, and whispering, "Maybe we should go for another round to find out."


End file.
